Application of Vacuum-Formed Cyst Plug-in Conservative Treatment of Jaw Cyst in Children.

Fenestration decompression, which can protect important anatomic structures and reduce surgical risk is the most preferred way for the treatment of jaw cysts in children, and wearing a cyst plug after the operation is the key to success. To enhance the retention of the cyst plug and promote the healing of the cyst, our team designed the vacuum-formed cyst plug to replace the classic one. This article presents a case of a jaw cyst in a 6-year-old girl who wore the vacuum-formed cyst plug after the fenestration decompression. Six months later, the cyst healed, and the permanent teeth affected by the cyst returned. This case showed that the vacuum-formed cyst plug offered a more comfortable experience and an explicit prognosis for children with jaw cysts, having high clinical application value.

Efficient white upconversion luminescence in Yb3+/Eu3+ doubly-doped transparent glass ceramic.

Efficient white upconversion (UC) luminescence is obtained in Yb3+/Eu3+ doubly-doped optical glass ceramic (GC) for the first time. KYb3F10 nanocrystals are controllably precipitated from the amorphous networks via the inducing of Yb3+. Yb3+ ions are spontaneously confined within the compact fluoride crystal structures to produce efficient blue UC emissions of Yb3+-Yb3+ pairs. Eu3+ ions are easily incorporated into the KYb3F10 crystal lattices. Owing to the extremely short interionic distance in the crystal structures, intense green UC emissions apart from the red emissions of Eu3+ are observed, which are not obtained by the traditional Yb3+/Eu3+ doubly-doped GCs. As a result, white UC emissions are synthesized based on the three-primary-color principle and the emission intensities of GCs are dramatically enhanced as compared to glass. The designed GCs provide novel optical gain materials for the promising applications in three-dimensional display, solid-state lighting and tunable fiber lasers.

FTFA change under valgus stress force radiography is useful for evaluating the correctability of intra-articular varus deformity in UKA.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this observational study was to investigate the postoperative alignment change with Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKA), and clarify whether femoro-tibial facet angle (FTFA) is useful for evaluating alignment correctability with UKA. METHODS: This study evaluated 79 knees consecutive minimally invasive Oxford phase 3 UKAs performed between 2013 and 2014. Full-length weight-bearing radiographs of the lower limbs were obtained pre- and postoperatively to assess varus angle. Preoperative valgus stress radiography in the supine position was also performed. FTFA was measured on weight-bearing anteroposterior radiography and valgus stress radiography. RESULTS: The preoperative varus angle of 4.6° ± 3.1° reduced to 1.7° ± 2.6° postoperatively. Preoperative varus angle and postoperative varus angle change strongly correlated with the FTFA value and its change on the valgus stress radiographs, respectively (p < 0.01). Based on preoperative FTFA under valgus stress radiography, intra-articular varus corrected group (37 knees) with preoperative varus angle 2.9° ± 2.4° was corrected to - 0.3° ± 2.0° after UKA. However, intra-articular varus uncorrected group (42 knees) with preoperative varus angle 6.0° ± 3.0° was only corrected to 3.5° ± 1.7°. Thirteen knees (16.5%) were overcorrected to valgus after UKA, with a mean FTFA of - 1.2° ± 0.4° under valgus stress force, which related with a postoperative valgus angle 0.8° ± 1.2°. CONCLUSION: FTFA change under valgus stress force was useful for evaluating the correctability of UKA. It could reflect intra-articular varus deformity. Intra-articular varus deformity not corrected under valgus stress would result in varus after UKA. However, intra-articular deformity which could be overcorrected under valgus stress would have a tendency to valgus after Oxford UKA.

Threshold migration conditions of (micro) plastics under the action of overland flow.

Surface runoff is a major pathway for the transport of plastics. However, most previous studies focus on the transport of microplastics in aquatic environment, whereas the migration of plastics from terrestrial environment to aquatic ecosystems receives limited attention. In this work, we investigated the migration of plastic on different surfaces via surface runoff. Results indicate that the threshold migration condition increases with the size and density of plastics, while decreases as the surface inclination increases. Plastics show a higher degree of mobility on smooth surfaces, but plastic films exhibit lower mobility due to the frictional forces induced by the downward pressure exerted by the water flow. Conversely, rough surfaces such as concrete and macadam can trap small fragments and rigid film plastics, and plastics can be embedded within the soil matrix under the water flow. In summary, smaller size, steeper incline, and greater water flow rate facilitate the movement of plastics on surfaces. Results from this work improve the understanding of the process of plastic migration from land to water, and are of great significance for the prevention and control of plastic pollution.

The Inhibition of Return of Sanda Athletes in Three Dimensional Static and Dynamic Scenes.

Sanda is a combat sport in which athletes adopt offensive and defensive techniques for barehanded confrontations. Inhibition of return (IOR) describes a phenomenon in which an individual's response time to a target appearing at a previously cued location is slower than to a target appearing at an un-cued location. Because Sanda requires attention skills and fast response times in dynamic situations, a good understanding of IOR among Sanda athletes is important for enhancing their performance. We recruited 180 research participants for a 3-part study - 90 Sanda athletes (age M = 21.56, SD = 2.68; 52 males, 38 females) and 90 college student controls (age M = 21.64, SD = 2.40; 45 males, 45 females). We used the IOR paradigm with virtual reality technology to explore Sanda athletes' IOR in three experimental conditions: three-dimensional (3-D) static, dynamic, and mixed. There was a robust IOR effect in the 3-D static scenario, with the IOR effect larger among Sanda athletes than controls. There were different IOR spread patterns between Sanda athletes and controls, and the IOR effect was weaker or absent when the objects moved. There was a speed advantage for Sanda athletes once a static object started moving. In conclusion, the Sanda athletes' faster response times and more fine-graded IOR in 3-D environments may benefit their visual search in combat, and the reference of the static location may be critical for the IOR effect.

Low-Temperature Fluoro-Borosilicate Glass for Controllable Nano-Crystallization in Glass Ceramic Fibers.

A fluorosilicate (FS) nano-crystallized glass ceramic (NGC) is one of the most commonly used gain materials for applications in optical devices due to its excellent thermal stability as well as high-efficiency luminescence. However, FS glass can hardly be used to prepare NGC fibers due to its high preparation temperature. Here, a series of low-temperature fluoro-borosilicate (FBS) glasses were designed for the fabrication of active NGC fibers. By modulating B2O3, the preparation temperature of FBS glass was reduced to 1050 °C, and the crystallization in FBS NGCs was more controllable than in FS NGC. The crystallization of the impure phase was inhibited, and single-phase rare earth (RE)-fluoride nanocrystals were controllably precipitated in the FBS NGCs. The 40Si-20B FBS NGC not only exhibited a higher optical transmittance, but the luminescence efficiency was also much higher than traditional FS NGCs. More importantly, NGC fibers were successfully fabricated by using the designed FBS glass as core glass. Nanocrystals were controllably precipitated and greatly enhanced, and upconversion luminescence was observed in NGC fibers. The designed FBS NGCs provided high-quality optical gain materials and offered opportunities for fabricating a wide range of NGC fibers for multiple future applications, including fiber lasers and sensors.

Characteristics of (micro)plastic transport in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Many studies focus on the transport of plastic from rivers to oceans while little attention was paid to the plastic transport in the upper reaches of rivers. Transport process of plastic from upstream to downstream in the whole river basin scale is still poorly understood. In this work, five sections in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were investigated to characterize the features of plastic transport. Plastic abundance and flux were 293 to 156,667 n/m3 and 1.2 to 34,711 g/s, respectively. Plastic flux peaked at or right after the first flood peak in most sections, but plastic abundance was the highest in the normal or low water period. The first flood peak caused a temporary rise of plastic flux that last a short duration. Transport of plastic was not limited to water surface, and the Three Gorges Dam showed a peak elimination effect on plastic transport. Annual discharge of plastic was 1392 to 9532 tons and 6.2 × 1014 to 175 × 1014 particles at different sections. An increasing trend was observed for both plastic mass and quantity going downstream. Results showed that river plastic flux is highly variable and influenced by the dam, which should be considered in future to develop better monitoring strategies and to further improve the model.

A rapid analytical method for monitoring the enantiomeric purity of chiral molecules synthesized in ionic liquid solvents.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been widely used as reaction solvents in asymmetric synthesis due to their interesting physical and chemical properties. However, monitoring reactant-to-product conversion and the enantiopurity of formed stereoisomers often involves a tedious extraction step before chromatographic analysis. In this study, a rapid and sensitive sampling method using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to chiral gas chromatography was developed for the "on-line" analysis of chiral molecules in the IL solvent. Three different SPME sorbent coatings, namely polydimethylsiloxane, polyacrylate, and a polymeric ionic liquid-based fiber, were examined in this study. The analytical performance of the developed method was evaluated in terms of reproducibility, slope of calibration curve, linear range, calibration linearity, and the determination of detection limits. The SPME method was successfully applied in the determination of enantiomeric excess from selected mixtures of chiral molecules. A preliminary study was performed using an "on-fiber" derivatization approach revealing that the stereoisomers extracted by the SPME fiber can be efficiently derivatized using a short "on-fiber" derivatization step. The developed SPME method eliminates the need of sequestering the reaction, separating the compounds of interest from the IL solvent, and the addition of a derivatizing reagent.

Horizontal transport of macro- and microplastics on soil surface by rainfall induced surface runoff as affected by vegetations.

Surface runoff is considered as an important pathway that transport of plastic waste from terrestrial environment into the aquatic environment but the process is still poorly understood. In this work, runoff plot experiment was carried out to study the horizontal transport of macro- and microplastics between 50 mm and 0.25 mm in size on the soil surface by rain induced runoff. The influences of vegetation cover, characteristics of plastics, and rainfall scenarios were investigated. Results showed that the presence of vegetation significantly enhance the retention of plastics by about 20% under the experimental conditions. Lower density and smaller (<1 mm) plastics were found to have higher mobility. The herb plant (Photinia×fraseri Dress) showed a better interception efficiency on plastics than the shrub plant (Ophiopogon japonicus (Linn. f.) Ker-Gawl.) at the same planting density, while increasing plant density contributed litter to the interception of microplastics. Increase rainfall amount from 20 mm to 60 mm enhanced the transport of plastics while repeating 20 mm rainfall every 3 days did not affect the transport of plastics significantly. The same processes may involve in the transport of plastics and soil particles by rainfall induced surface runoff. Strategies controlling soil erosion could also be used to prevent plastics in soil from entering the aquatic environment. However, effects and risks of plastics retained in the soil are still unclear, which need to be investigated in future.

The global landscape of approved antibody therapies.

Antibody therapies have become an important class of therapeutics in recent years as they have exhibited outstanding efficacy and safety in the treatment of several major diseases including cancers, immune-related diseases, infectious disease and hematological disease. There has been significant progress in the global research and development landscape of antibody therapies in the past decade. In this review, we have collected available data from the Umabs Antibody Therapies Database (Umabs-DB, https://umabs.com) as of 30 June 2022. The Umabs-DB shows that 162 antibody therapies have been approved by at least one regulatory agency in the world, including 122 approvals in the US, followed by 114 in Europe, 82 in Japan and 73 in China, whereas biosimilar, diagnostic and veterinary antibodies are not included in our statistics. Although the US and Europe have been at the leading position for decades, rapid advancement has been witnessed in Japan and China in the past decade. The approved antibody therapies include 115 canonical antibodies, 14 antibody-drug conjugates, 7 bispecific antibodies, 8 antibody fragments, 3 radiolabeled antibodies, 1 antibody-conjugate immunotoxin, 2 immunoconjugates and 12 Fc-Fusion proteins. They have been developed against 91 drug targets, of which PD-1 is the most popular, with 14 approved antibody-based blockades for cancer treatment in the world. This review outlined the global landscape of the approved antibody therapies with respect to the regulation agencies, therapeutic targets and indications, aiming to provide an insight into the trends of the global development of antibody therapies.

Task-specific microextractions using ionic liquids.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been the focus of many scientific investigations including the field of analytical microextractions. ILs have many advantages over traditional organic solvents making them excellent candidates as extraction media for a variety of microextraction techniques. Many physical properties of ILs can be varied, and the structural design and make-up can be tuned to impart desired functionality for enhancement of analyte extraction selectivity, efficiency, and sensitivity. This paper provides a brief overview of ionic liquids and highlights trends in three important sample-preparation techniques, namely, single drop microextraction, solid-phase microextraction, and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction in terms of performing task-specific extractions using these highly versatile solvents.

Used disposable face masks are significant sources of microplastics to environment.

The consumption of disposable face masks increases greatly because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inappropriate disposal of wasted face masks has already caused the pollution of the environment. As made from plastic nonwoven fabrics, disposable face masks could be a potential source of microplastics for the environment. In this study, we evaluated the ability of new and used disposable face masks of different types to release microplastics into the water. The microplastic release capacity of the used masks increased significantly from 183.00 ± 78.42 particles/piece for the new masks to 1246.62 ± 403.50 particles/piece. Most microplastics released from the face masks were medium size transparent polypropylene fibers originated from the nonwoven fabrics. The abrasion and aging during the using of face masks enhanced the releasing of microplastics since the increasing of medium size and blue microplastics. The face masks could also accumulate airborne microplastics during use. Our results indicated that used disposable masks without effective disposal could be a critical source of microplastics in the environment. The efficient allocation of mask resources and the proper disposal of wasted masks are not only beneficial to pandemic control but also to environmental safety.

Nano-Crystallization of Ln-Fluoride Crystals in Glass-Ceramics via Inducing of Yb3+ for Efficient Near-Infrared Upconversion Luminescence of Tm3.

Transparent glass-ceramic composites embedded with Ln-fluoride nanocrystals are prepared in this work to enhance the upconversion luminescence of Tm3+. The crystalline phases, microstructures, and photoluminescence properties of samples are carefully investigated. KYb3F10 nanocrystals are proved to controllably precipitate in the glass-ceramics via the inducing of Yb3+ when the doping concentration varies from 0.5 to 1.5 mol%. Pure near-infrared upconversion emissions are observed and the emission intensities are enhanced in the glass-ceramics as compared to in the precursor glass due to the incorporation of Tm3+ into the KYb3F10 crystal structures via substitutions for Yb3+. Furthermore, KYb2F7 crystals are also nano-crystallized in the glass-ceramics when the Yb3+ concentration exceeds 2.0 mol%. The upconversion emission intensity of Tm3+ is further enhanced by seven times as Tm3+ enters the lattice sites of pure KYb2F7 nanocrystals. The designed glass ceramics provide efficient gain materials for optical applications in the biological transmission window. Moreover, the controllable nano-crystallization strategy induced by Yb3+ opens a new way for engineering a wide range of functional nanomaterials with effective incorporation of Ln3+ ions into fluoride crystal structures.

The Glycosaminoglycan Content of Hip Cartilage in Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head: Evaluation with Delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage.

OBJECTIVE: Hip cartilage quality is essential for the success of joint-preserving surgery for osteonecrosis. This study aimed to characterize cartilage changes in osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH) using delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC). DESIGN: Fifteen asymptomatic (control) and 60 ONFH subjects were included in this study. The ONFH subjects were stratified in accordance with the Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) classification (n = 15 hips per ARCO stage). All participant hips were investigated using dGEMRIC and theT1Gd data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: T1Gd value was significantly lower in the ONFH group (365.1 ± 90.5 ms; range 200-498 ms) compared with the control group (546.1 ± 26.0 ms; range 504-580 ms) (P < 0.001). The T1Gd values of ARCO stage I-IV ONFH were 460.2 ± 17.3 ms (439-498 ms), 408.9 ± 43.4 ms (337-472 ms), 359.9 ± 34.5 ms (303-412 ms), 231.5 ± 15.1 ms (200-253 ms), respectively. Decreased T1Gd value was found to correlate significantly with increased ONFH severity (P < 0.001). T1Gd value in collapse stage was significantly lower than that of noncollapse stage (295.7 ± 70.3 ms [range 200-412 ms] vs. 434.6 ± 41.7 ms [range 337-498 ms]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: dGEMRIC identified hip cartilage as abnormal in ONFH, even at early-stage, as represented by decreased T1Gd, and this was further aggravated by ONFH collapse.

Ionic liquid in situ functionalized carbon nanotubes as metal-free catalyst for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.

The development of cost-effective and high-performance catalysts for the production of hydrogen via electrocatalytic water splitting is crucial for meeting the increasing energy demand and expanding the hydrogen economy. In this study, a series of metal-free carbon nanotube (CNT) catalysts were designed and in situ functionalized by imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The theoretical calculations and experimental results reveal that the functionalization of CNTs with imidazolium ILs facilitated the electron transfer process and exhibited superior hydrogen adsorption, thereby enhancing the performance of the HER. In particular, CNT-IM-Cl displays excellent electrocatalytic activity and shows a low onset overpotential and Tafel slope of 80 mV and 38 mV dec-1, respectively. This study highlights the significant potential of IL in situ functionalized metal-free CNTs for the electrocatalytic HER and provides insight into the structure design of highly efficient electrocatalysts.

The complete chloroplast genome of Yishui Lily 140 (Liliaceae Lilium lancifolium) yielded by next-generation sequencing.

Yishui Lily 140 (Lilium lancifolium) is a hybrid lily species which was bred from wild lily varieties due to its edible and medicinal value. In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) of L. lancifolium. The complete cp sequence is 152,643 bp long, with a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,084 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,513 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,492 bp each. The GC contents of the complete cp genomes are 37.0%. It contains 132 genes, including 86 coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNAs, and 38 transfer RNAs. Among them, 16 different genes have a single intron and the remaining two genes have double introns, including nine cis-splicing and one trans-splicing genes. Compared with other species, we found three high variation hot spots and 96 repeats sequence. The genetic information of Lilium can be enriched as well as identifying proximal species. They are edible and have medicinal value for humans. Therefore, sequencing of Yishui Lily 140 is important to explore the cp genome composition.

The Heterogeneity of Inflammatory Response and Emphysema in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic inflammation, emphysema, airway remodeling, and altered lung function. Despite the canonical classification of COPD as a neutrophilic disease, blood and airway eosinophilia are found in COPD patients. Identifying the tools to assess eosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD models during stable disease and exacerbations will enable the development of novel anti-eosinophilic treatments. We developed different animal models to mimic the pathological features of COPD. Our results show that eosinophils accumulated in the lungs of pancreatic porcine elastase-treated mice, with emphysema arising from the alveolar septa. A lipopolysaccharide challenge significantly increased IL-17 levels and induced a swift change from a type-2 response to an IL-17-driven inflammatory response. However, lipopolysaccharides can exacerbate cigarette smoking-induced airway inflammation dominated by neutrophil infiltration and airway remodeling in COPD models. Our results suggest that eosinophils may be associated with emphysema arising from the alveolar septa, which may be different from the small airway disease-associated emphysema that is dominated by neutrophilic inflammation in cigarette smoke-induced models. The characterization of heterogeneity seen in the COPD-associated inflammatory signature could pave the way for personalized medicine to identify new and effective therapeutic approaches for COPD.

Polymeric ionic liquids as CO(2) selective sorbent coatings for solid-phase microextraction.

Two polymeric ionic liquids (PIL) were synthesized and employed as sorbent coatings in solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for the selective extraction of CO(2). The two coatings, poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium) bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide [poly(VHIM-NTf(2))] and poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium) taurate [poly(VHIM-taurate)], exhibited varied selectivity toward CO(2) due to functional groups within in the PIL that imparted different mechanisms of CO(2) capture. Extraction efficiencies were compared to those of two commercial SPME fibers [poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and Carboxen-PDMS]. The poly(VHIM-NTf(2)) PIL fiber exhibited comparable extraction efficiency at high CO(2) pressure compared to the Carboxen-PDMS fiber, even though the PIL-based fibers possessed much smaller film thicknesses. Calibration curves generated in pure CO(2) showed that the sensitivity of the poly(VHIM-NTf(2)) coating was comparable to that of the Carboxen-PDMS fiber with both PIL-based fibers exhibiting larger linear ranges and higher extraction-to-extraction reproducibility. The storage ability for selected fibers was examined and revealed that the PIL-based coatings exhibited superior capability in retaining the CO(2) sorbate on the fiber under different storage conditions, particularly for the poly(VHIM-taurate) PIL which reversibly captures CO(2) as a carbamate salt.

Highly selective GC stationary phases consisting of binary mixtures of polymeric ionic liquids.

GC stationary phases composed of binary mixtures of two polymeric ionic liquids (PILs), namely, poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium) bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (poly(ViHIm-NTf(2)))/poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium) chloride (poly(ViHIm-Cl)) and poly(1-vinyl-3-hexadecylimidazolium) bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (poly(ViHDIm-NTf(2)))/poly(1-vinyl-3-hexadecylimidazolium) chloride (poly(ViHDIm-Cl)), were evaluated in terms of their on-set bleed temperature and separation selectivity. A total of six neat or binary PIL stationary phases were characterized using the solvation parameter model to investigate the effects of the polymeric cation and anion and PIL composition on the system constants of the resulting stationary phases. The hydrogen bond basicity of the mixed poly(ViHIm-NTf(2))/poly(ViHIm-Cl) stationary phases was enriched linearly with the increase in the poly(ViHIm-Cl) content. Results revealed that tuning the composition of the stationary phase allowed for fine control of the retention factors and separation selectivity for alcohols and carboxylic acids as well as selected ketones, aldehydes, and aromatic compounds. A reversal of elution order was observed for particular classes of analytes when the weight percentage of the chloride-based PIL was increased.

A biocompatible chitosan composite containing phosphotungstic acid modified single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Surface modification of carbon nanotubes is crucial for the dispersion and interfacial adhesion of carbon nanotubes in polymer composites. Here we present a novel method to construct single-walled carbon nanotube/chitosan composites using phosphotungstic acid as an anchor reagent to modify single-walled carbon nanotubes. The most direct benefit from this method is that this modification is mild but effective: the induced defects on single-walled carbon nanotubes are negligible based on Raman and transmission electron microscopy observations; and homogeneous dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in chitosan matrices and strong binding between single-walled carbon nanotubes and chitosan are achieved. Moreover, according to the results of tetrazolium-based colorimetric assays in vitro, we demonstrate that the produced phosphotungstic-acid-modified single-walled carbon nanotube/chitosan composites have good biocompatibility. Thus, our study provides a feasible route to fabricate biocompatible composites containing single-walled carbon nanotubes for potential application in bone tissue engineering.